Turbine design for flow meter

ABSTRACT

A turbine wheel used in a turbine flow meter includes a hub configured to be freely rotatably fixed in position inside a fluid pipe section. A first cylindrical rim is centered about the hub and the longitudinal axis and spaced a distance apart from the hub. A first vane set extends outwardly from the hub to the first cylindrical rim, wherein a root of each vane of the first vane set is attached to the hub and a tip of each vane of the first vane set is attached to the first cylindrical rim. The first vane set may consist of one or two individual vanes. An external vane set may extend outwardly from the first cylindrical rim, wherein a root of each vane is attached to the first cylindrical rim and a tip of each vane is not attached to any cylindrical rim.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. Application Serial No.15/929,477 filed on May 4, 2020 and entitled IMPROVED TURBINE DESIGN FORFLOW METER, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,624,636, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Pat. Application Serial No. 62/844,298, filed on May 7,2019 and entitled ECONOMICAL TURBINE FLOWMETER OF ENHANCED ACCURACY WITHBI-DIRECTIONAL FLOW METERING, the entire disclosures of each of whichare incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to flow meters. For example, oneaspect of the present invention relates to improvements in the turbinedesign of a flow meter enabling lower flow rates to be detected,reducing fouling and other associated improvements.

BACKGROUND

Turbine flowmeters use the mechanical energy of the fluid to rotate arotor in the flow stream. Vanes (i.e. blades) on the rotor (i.e. turbinewheel, flow turbine, flow sensor) are configured with angled or helicalform to transform energy from the flow stream into rotational energy.The rotor shaft spins on bearings. When the fluid moves faster, therotor spins proportionally faster.

Shaft rotation can be sensed mechanically or by detecting the movementof the vanes. Vane movement is often detected magnetically. In certainembodiments, individual vanes are metallic or are embedded with a pieceof metal, with each vane or embedded piece of metal generating a pulsedetected by electronic sensors. In other embodiments and as applied incurrent presented art, one or more magnets are positioned diametricallyaround the turbine wheel. Turbine flowmeter sensors are typicallylocated external to the flowing stream to avoid material of constructionconstraints that would result if wetted sensors were used. When thefluid moves faster, more pulses are generated. The pulse signalfrequency is used to determine the flow rate of the fluid. Transmittersand sensing systems are available to sense flow direction in both theforward and reverse flow directions.

However, turbine flowmeters have reduced accuracy at low flow rates dueto rotor/bearing drag that slows the rotor. For standard use, provisionsfor filtering are recommended to avoid particulates causing wear orfouling of the turbine wheel.

SUMMARY

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a turbinewheel 27 configured for use in a turbine flow meter, the turbine wheelcomprising: a hub 66 centered about and defining a longitudinal axis 67,wherein the hub is configured to be freely rotatably fixed in positioninside a fluid pipe section 33; a first cylindrical rim 69 a centeredabout the hub and the longitudinal axis and spaced a distance apart fromthe hub; a first vane set 68 a extending outwardly from the hub to thefirst cylindrical rim, wherein a root 70 of each vane of the first vaneset is attached to the hub and a tip 71 of each vane of the first vaneset is attached to the first cylindrical rim.

In other variations of the exemplary embodiment, the first vane set mayconsist of one individual vane. Alternatively, the first vane set mayconsist of two individual vanes.

An external vane set 76 may extend outwardly from the first cylindricalrim, wherein a root of each vane of the external vane set is attached tothe first cylindrical rim and a tip of each vane of the external vaneset is not attached to any cylindrical rim.

A pocket 72 may be formed in the first cylindrical rim, and including amagnet 28 or a magnetically-permeable ferrous part 28 disposed withinthe pocket.

The turbine wheel may be a single-shot, plastic injection molded,homogeneous part. The turbine wheel may consist of a specific gravity ator between 0.9 to 1.0. The turbine wheel may consist of a polypropylenehomopolymer.

A second cylindrical rim 69 b may be centered about the hub and thelongitudinal axis and spaced radially a distance apart from the firstcylindrical rim, wherein the first and second cylindrical rims areconcentrically disposed in relation to one another, and including asecond vane set 68 b extending outwardly from the first cylindrical rimto the second cylindrical rim, wherein a root of the each vane of thesecond vane set is attached to the first cylindrical rim and a tip ofeach vane of the second vane set is attached to the second cylindricalrim.

The first vane set may consist of two individual vanes and the secondvane set consists of four individual vanes.

The first vane set may consist of two individual vanes and the secondvane set comprises more than two individual vanes.

The first vane set may consist of one individual vane and the secondvane set comprises more than one individual vane.

The first vane set may have a lower individual vane count in comparisonto the second vane set.

A pocket 72 may be formed in the second cylindrical rim, and include amagnet 28 or a magnetically-permeable ferrous part 28 disposed withinthe pocket.

A leading edge 87 a of the first cylindrical rim may extend a distance86 in front of a leading edge 87 b of the second cylindrical rim.

The turbine wheel may be a single-shot, plastic injection molded,homogeneous part.

An external vane set 76 may extend outwardly from the second cylindricalrim, wherein a root of each vane of the external vane set is attached tothe second cylindrical rim and a tip of each vane of the external vaneset is not attached to any cylindrical rim.

Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is best shown inFIGS. 20-25 , where a turbine wheel 27 is configured for use in aturbine flow meter, the turbine wheel comprising: a hub 66 centeredabout and defining a longitudinal axis 67, wherein the hub is configuredto be freely rotatably fixed in position inside a fluid pipe section 33;a first cylindrical rim 69 a centered about the hub and the longitudinalaxis and spaced a distance apart from the hub; a first vane set 68 aextending outwardly from the hub to the first cylindrical rim, wherein aroot 70 of each vane of the first vane set is attached to the hub and atip 71 of each vane of the first vane set is attached to the firstcylindrical rim; a second cylindrical rim 69 b centered about the huband the longitudinal axis and spaced radially a distance apart from thefirst cylindrical rim, wherein the first and second cylindrical rims areconcentrically disposed in relation to one another; a second vane set 68b extending outwardly from the first cylindrical rim to the secondcylindrical rim, wherein a root of the each vane of the second vane setis attached to the first cylindrical rim and a tip of each vane of thesecond vane set is attached to the second cylindrical rim.

In other variations of the exemplary embodiment, the first vane set mayhave a lower individual vane count in comparison to the second vane set.

A third vane set 76 may extend outwardly from the second cylindricalrim, wherein a root of each vane of the third vane set is attached tothe second cylindrical rim and a tip of each vane of the third vane setis not attached to any cylindrical rim.

A pocket 72 may be formed in the second cylindrical rim, and including amagnet 28 or a magnetically-permeable ferrous part 28 disposed withinthe pocket.

A leading edge 87 a of the first cylindrical rim may extend a distance86 ahead of a leading edge 87 b of the second cylindrical rim.

The turbine wheel may be a single-shot, plastic injection molded,homogeneous part.

The first vane set may consist of two individual vanes and the secondvane set consists of four individual vanes.

The first vane set may consist of two individual vanes and the secondvane set comprises more than two individual vanes.

The first vane set may consist of one individual vane and the secondvane set comprises more than one individual vane.

Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is best shown inFIGS. 14-19 , where a turbine wheel 27 is configured for use in aturbine flow meter, the turbine wheel comprising: a hub 66 centeredabout and defining a longitudinal axis 67, wherein the hub is configuredto be freely rotatably fixed in position inside a fluid pipe section 33;a first cylindrical rim 69 a centered about the hub and the longitudinalaxis and spaced a distance apart from the hub; a first vane set 68 aextending outwardly from the hub to the first cylindrical rim, wherein aroot 70 of each vane of the first vane set is attached to the hub and atip 71 of each vane of the first vane set is attached to the firstcylindrical rim, wherein the first vane set consists of two individualvanes; and an external vane set extending outwardly from the firstcylindrical rim, wherein a root of each vane of the external vane set isattached to the first cylindrical rim and a tip of each vane of theexternal vane set is not attached to any cylindrical rim.

In other variations of the exemplary embodiment the turbine wheel may bea single-shot, plastic injection molded, homogeneous part.

A pocket may be formed in the first cylindrical rim, and including amagnet or a magnetically-permeable ferrous part disposed within thepocket.

An axle thru-hole 65 may be disposed through the hub along thelongitudinal axis, and including a turbine shaft disposed through theaxle thru-hole.

Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention is best shown inFIGS. 26-29 , where a flow rate sensor, comprises: a fluid pipe section33 including a fluid inlet 35 and a fluid outlet 34 configured to beconnectable in series to a fluid pipe 36; a turbine wheel freelydisposed inside a fluid pipe section, the turbine wheel comprising: ahub centered about and defining a longitudinal axis, wherein the hub isfreely rotatably fixed in position relative to the fluid pipe section; afirst cylindrical rim centered about the hub and the longitudinal axisand spaced a distance apart from the hub; a first vane set extendingoutwardly from the hub to the first cylindrical rim, wherein a root ofeach vane of the first vane set is attached to the hub and a tip of eachvane of the first vane set is attached to the first cylindrical rim; apocket formed in the first cylindrical rim; and a magnet or amagnetically-permeable ferrous part disposed within the pocket; a firstsensor and a second sensor attached relative to and disposed outside ofthe fluid pipe section, wherein the first and the second sensors aredisposed near the magnet or the magnetically-permeable ferrous part, thefirst and second sensor configured to detect a movement of the magnet ormagnetically-permeable ferrous part; wherein the first and the secondsensor are positioned where an included angle from the longitudinal axisof the turbine wheel to a center of each sensor is other than 180degrees.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following more detailed description, when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way ofexample, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a simplified fluid pipe portionhaving a freely rotatable turbine wheel disposed therein;

FIG. 2 is a front isometric view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a rear isometric view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 is front view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view similar to FIG. 1 now showing adifferent embodiment of a turbine wheel inside of a fluid pipe section;

FIG. 8 is a front isometric view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 7 ;

FIG. 9 is another front isometric view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 7taken at a different angle;

FIG. 10 is a rear isometric view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 7 ;

FIG. 11 is front view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 7 ;

FIG. 12 is a side view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 7 ;

FIG. 13 is a rear view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 7 ;

FIG. 14 is a front isometric view of another embodiment of a turbinewheel of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is another front isometric view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 14taken at a different angle;

FIG. 16 is a rear isometric view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 14 ;

FIG. 17 is front view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 14 ;

FIG. 18 is a side view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 14 ;

FIG. 19 is a rear view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 14 ;

FIG. 20 is a front isometric view of another embodiment of a turbinewheel of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is another front isometric view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 20taken at a different angle;

FIG. 22 is a rear isometric view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 20 ;

FIG. 23 is front view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 20 ;

FIG. 24 is a side view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 20 ;

FIG. 25 is a rear view of the turbine wheel of FIG. 20 ;

FIG. 26 is a sectional view along the fluid pipe section showing how themagnet within the turbine wheel can pass by the sensor;

FIG. 27 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 26 , now showing two sensorsplaced side by side for determining turbine wheel rotation direction;

FIG. 28 is a sample reading taken from the structure of FIG. 26 showingone rotation direction;

FIG. 29 is a sample reading taken from the structure of FIG. 27 showinga different rotation direction in comparison to FIG. 28 ;

FIG. 30 schematically illustrates an exemplary monitoring and control

FIG. 31 schematically illustrates an exemplary controller of the presentinvention, which may include a number of electronic components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The improved turbine design of the present invention can be utilizedwith any device where there may be benefit to monitoring liquid flow,for example, leak detection shut off valves; plumbing devices, such asfaucets, showerheads and silcocks; Internet of Things connected devicesfor identifying leaks, water consumption or other applications wherewater flow may provide useful data. As a particular example, the turbinedesign of the present invention can be used with the control devicespreviously taught in patent applications: 15/977,546 filed on May 11,2018 (U.S. Publication 2018/0259982); 15/849,669 filed on Dec. 21, 2017(U.S. Publication 2018/0136673); and 14/182,213 filed on Feb. 17, 2014(U.S. Publication 2014/0230925 and now U.S. Pat. 9,857,805), wherein allthe contents of these applications are fully incorporated herein withthis reference.

This Detailed Description merely describes exemplary embodiments of theinvention and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims in anyway. Indeed, the invention as claimed is broader than and unlimited bythe embodiments shown herein, and the terms used in the claims havetheir full ordinary meaning. For example, while exemplary embodimentsdescribed in this disclosure relate to use of a fluid usage monitoringsystem for measurement and control of water usage in a plumbing system,it is to be understood that one or more of the features described hereinmay additionally or alternatively be applied to other water system or toother fluid systems, such as, for example, natural gas, air, propane,steam, oil, gas, or other such fluid systems. Furthermore, it isunderstood that a fluid can be comprised of air, steam, gas, liquid orany combinations thereof.

While various inventive aspects, concepts and features of the inventionsmay be described and illustrated herein as embodied in combination inthe exemplary embodiments, these various aspects, concepts and featuresmay be used in many alternative embodiments, either individually or invarious combinations and sub- combinations thereof. Unless expresslyexcluded herein all such combinations and sub-combinations are intendedto be within the scope of the present inventions. Still further, whilevarious alternative embodiments as to the various aspects, concepts andfeatures of the inventions--such as alternative materials, structures,configurations, methods, circuits, devices and components, software,hardware, control logic, alternatives as to form, fit and function, andso on--may be described herein, such descriptions are not intended to bea complete or exhaustive list of available alternative embodiments,whether presently known or later developed. Those skilled in the art mayreadily adopt one or more of the inventive aspects, concepts or featuresinto additional embodiments and uses within the scope of the presentinventions even if such embodiments are not expressly disclosed herein.Additionally, even though some features, concepts or aspects of theinventions may be described herein as being a preferred arrangement ormethod, such description is not intended to suggest that such feature isrequired or necessary unless expressly so stated. Still further,exemplary or representative values and ranges may be included to assistin understanding the present disclosure, however, such values and rangesare not to be construed in a limiting sense and are intended to becritical values or ranges only if so expressly stated. Parametersidentified as “approximate” or “about” a specified value in the claimsare intended to include both the specified value and values within 10%of the specified value, unless expressly stated otherwise. Further, itis to be understood that the drawings accompanying the presentdisclosure may, but need not, be to scale, and therefore may beunderstood as teaching various ratios and proportions evident in thedrawings. Moreover, while various aspects, features and concepts may beexpressly identified herein as being inventive or forming part of aninvention, such identification is not intended to be exclusive, butrather there may be inventive aspects, concepts and features that arefully described herein without being expressly identified as such or aspart of a specific invention, the inventions instead being set forth inthe appended claims. Descriptions of exemplary methods or processes arenot limited to inclusion of all steps as being required in all cases,nor is the order that the steps are presented to be construed asrequired or necessary unless expressly so stated.

“Computer,” “controller,” “control module,” or “processor” as usedherein includes, but is not limited to, any programmed or programmableelectronic device or coordinated devices that can store, retrieve, andprocess data and may be a processing unit or in a distributed processingconfiguration. Examples of processors include microprocessors,microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs), floating point units(FPUs), reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, digitalsignal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.Computer devices herein can have any of various configurations, such ashandheld computers (e.g., so- called smart phones), pad computers,tablet laptop computers, desktop computers, and other configurations,and including other form factors. The various computers and processorsherein have logic for performing the various corresponding functions andprocesses described herein. “Logic,” synonymous with “circuit” as usedherein includes, but is not limited to, hardware, firmware, softwareand/or combinations of each to perform one or more functions or actions.For example, based on a desired application or needs, logic may includea software controlled processor, discrete logic such as an applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmed logic device, or otherprocessor. Logic may also be fully embodied as software. “Software,” asused herein, includes but is not limited to one or more computerreadable and/or executable instructions that cause a processor or otherelectronic device to perform functions, actions, processes, and/orbehave in a desired manner. The instructions may be embodied in variousforms such as routines, algorithms, modules or programs includingseparate applications or code from dynamically linked libraries (DLLs).Software may also be implemented in various forms such as a stand-aloneprogram, a web-based program, a function call, a subroutine, a servlet,an application, an app, an applet (e.g., a Java applet), a plug-in,instructions stored in a memory, part of an operating system, or othertype of executable instructions or interpreted instructions from whichexecutable instructions are created. It will be appreciated by one ofordinary skill in the art that the form of software is dependent on, forexample, requirements of a desired application, the environment it runson, and/or the desires of a designer/programmer or the like. Inexemplary embodiments, some or all of the software is stored on memory,which includes one or more non-transitory computer readable media of oneor more local or remote data storage devices. As used herein, “datastorage device” means a device for non-transitory storage of code ordata, e.g., a device with a non-transitory computer readable medium. Asused herein, “non-transitory computer readable medium” mean any suitablenon-transitory computer readable medium for storing code or data, suchas a magnetic medium, e.g., fixed disks in external hard drives, fixeddisks in internal hard drives, and flexible disks; an optical medium,e.g., CD disk, DVD disk, and other media, e.g., RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM,EEPROM, flash PROM, external flash memory drives, etc. Communicationcircuits herein include antennas and/or data ports and driver chips forsending and receiving communications with other devices. In exemplaryembodiment, communication circuits can include any one or more of Wi-Fiantennas and circuitry, LTE antennas and circuitry, GPS antennas andcircuitry, CDPD antennas and circuitry, GPRS antennas and circuitry, GSMantennas and circuitry, UMTS antennas and circuitry, Ethernet circuitry,and other antennas and circuitry, USB ports and circuitry (e.g.,standard, micro, mini, etc.), RS-232 ports and circuitry, proprietaryports and circuitry (e.g., APPLE 30 pin and Lightning ports), RFIDantennas and circuitry, NFC antennas and circuitry, bump technologyantennas and circuitry, a Bluetooth (e.g., BLE) antenna and circuitry,DOCSIS circuitry, ONT circuitry, and other antennas, ports, andcircuitry.

As described herein, when one or more components are described as beingconnected, joined, affixed, coupled, attached, or otherwiseinterconnected, such interconnection may be direct as between thecomponents or may be indirect such as through the use of one or moreintermediary components. Also, as described herein, reference to a“member,” “component,” or “portion” shall not be limited to a singlestructural member, component, or element but can include an assembly ofcomponents, members or elements.

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a simplified fluid pipe portion 33having a turbine wheel 27. The simplified fluid pipe portion 33 is verysimilar to the pipe portions taught in the ‘546, ‘669 and ‘213applications but has been simplified herein. For consistency and ease ofunderstanding, the numerals used in the present application willincorporate and follow those numerals used in the ‘669 and ‘213applications.

Referring also to FIGS. 2-6 , the turbine wheel 27 of one embodiment ofthe present invention has a hub 66 that includes at least one, usuallymany, vanes (blades) 68 that extend outwardly and are arrangedconcentrically and evenly spaced about the longitudinal axis 67 for aproper equal balancing. As shown in this embodiment there are eightvanes that extend outwardly, however, it is understood that a wide rangeof vanes may be used from 1 to any n number of vanes.

Multiple concentric vanes 68 with either helical or angled form causeseparation of the primary pipeline flow field and redirection in amanner to cause rotation of turbine wheel 27. The vanes 68 areconfigured with minimal open space 74 for fluid field to pass directlythrough the rotor. The fluid impingement upon the faces of the vanesconverts axial momentum to angular rotation of turbine wheel 27. Theangle of attack of the flow vanes and quantity of vanes affects therotational velocity. The flow channels bounded by the vanes are designedto provide near-equivalent flow area to the main pipeline in order toreduce head loss (pressure drop) through the turbine assembly.

Some of the embodiments shown herein may be a single-shot injectionmolded homogeneous component/part using an engineered resin. This thenallows the use of a two-part mold that can easily separate duringturbine wheel production and speeds cycle time of the molding process.

In one embodiment, the engineered resin may have a specific gravity ator below 1.0. To minimize load on bearings, achieving neutral buoyancyis advantageous. In certain water applications, using material withspecific gravity between 0.9 and 1.0 can be advantageous to achieveneutral buoyancy to reduce load on bearings. The turbine material may bepolypropylene homopolymer with specific gravity 0.903. A lower specificgravity (below a specific gravity of 1, i.e. water) of bulk turbinemolding can compensate for weight of shafts and/or bearings.

As shown herein, the vanes 69 extend outwardly to a concentricallyformed cylindrical rim 69. It is understood that a turbine wheel 27could be made without a rim 69, where the vanes extend outwardlystarting at root 70 and extend to a tip 71 without then attaching to anyadditional structure. However, having a rim 69 provides additionalsupport for the vanes and prevents them from breaking off or incurringdamage. Additionally, the rim 69 helps contain the fluid flow such thatrotation of the turbine wheel 27 is improved.

As shown herein, the turbine wheel has two peripheral cavities orpockets 72 formed within the rim 69 intended to accept a magnet 28, anadditional magnet or counterweight 29, magnetically-permeable ferrousdisc/parts 28 and 29 or the like. The pocket 72 is formed from the backside of the turbine wheel during the molding process. It is understoodthat the pocket 72 could have been formed from the front side of theturbine wheel or radially from the outside diameter of rim. Furthermore,the magnets 28 or counter-weights 29 can be placed inside the pocket 72with an interference press fit or various adhesive and fasteners couldhave been used known to those skilled in the art. Those skilled in theart could use just one pocket, two pockets or any n number of pocketsformed in the rim. However, it is a good practice to balance the weightssuch that smooth rotation of the turbine wheel is enabled. Accordingly,one skilled in the art could use one magnet, two magnets, one magnet andone weight, or any other possible combination of magnets and weights tomeet the system being designed for.

In an exemplary embodiment, the turbine wheel 27 has a centrallydisposed turbine shaft 26 that is placed through a central thru-hole 65in the hub 66 of the turbine wheel. The hole and the turbine shaft arelocated along a longitudinal axis 67 of the turbine wheel, where theturbine wheel is able to rotate freely about this longitudinal axis. Asshown here, the turbine wheel and the turbine shaft are two separatelymanufactured parts. The turbine shaft can be fixed in place within thehole of hub by interference press fitting, or using an adhesive,fastener or the like. However, it is also understood that the turbinewheel and turbine shaft could be manufactured as one integrally formedpart, for example as in a plastic injection molding process.

As best seen in FIG. 1 , there is a first/front turbine bearing 25 adisposed at a front end of the turbine shaft and a second/rear turbinebearing 25 b disposed at a rear end of the turbine shaft. These turbinebearings 25 are of a low-friction material allowing the shaft to freelyspin therein. The bearings 25 may be made from PTFE-filled PPS, PEEK,Polyamideimide, synthetic sapphire or ruby.

The front turbine bearing 25 a is captured within a front bearingsupport 85. As shown and intended herein, the front bearing support 85is integrally molded as part of the fluid pipe section 33. However, itis understood that the front bearing support could have been made aseparately manufactured part. Furthermore, the front bearing support mayhave one, two, three or any n number of extensions that connect it tothe fluid pipe section.

The rear bearing support 25 b is captured within a rear bearing support30. As shown and intended herein, the rear bearing support 30 is aseparately manufactured part but could have been made as an integrallyformed part of the fluid pipe section 33. The rear bearing support alsohas an optional seal 73 that helps keep the rear bearing support inplace during manufacturing as well as adding additional sealingcapabilities.

It is also understood that the bearings 25 a and 25 b could have beenintegrally formed as part of the supports 85 and 30. This would reducepart count and ease assembly. One point to consider is how this mightaffect material selection for low-friction rotation of the turbinewheel.

As shown in FIG. 1 , a Hall Effect sensor 15 and a printed circuit board16 are placed near the magnet/weight inside the turbine wheel and areutilized to sense the rotation of the turbine wheel due to movement ofthe magnet/weight. A Hall Effect sensor is a transducer that varies itsoutput voltage in response to a magnetic field. Hall Effect sensors arecommonly used to time the speed of wheels and shafts, such as forinternal combustion engine ignition timing, tachometers and anti-lockbraking systems. Herein, they are used to detect the position of thepermanent magnet 28. In place of the Hall Effect sensor 15 a reed switchcan also be used. It is understood by one skilled in the art that othersensors could be utilized to determine the flow rate of the fluid. Othersensors which may be used with different embodiments of the presentinvention include, for example, thermal mass flow sensors, ultrasonicflow sensors, magnetic sensors, Coriolos sensors or vortex shedding flowmeters and the like.

It is also worth noting when looking at FIGS. 4 and 6 that one can seestraight through the turbine rotor at a multitude (eight as shownherein) of pass through areas 74. These pass through areas 74 arelocations where a fluid can pass directly through the turbine wheelwithout imparting rotational movement to the turbine wheel. Therefore,to increase the low flow sensitivity of the flow meter to the desiredsensitivity, one skilled in the art can minimize the size and spacing ofthese pass through areas 74 to meets the desired sensitivity.

It is understood that the turbine wheel of the present invention is tobe used for fluids. Fluids can comprise liquids, gasses or combinationsthereof. As used herein, the flow meter of the present invention may beused on the plumbing system of a building or residence that istransporting water for use, such as showers, toilets, faucets and thelike.

Low flow sensitivity defines the minimum flow rate that a flow meter canmeasure repeatably with reasonable accuracy. The minimum flow thresholdof all flowmeters increase as pipe diameter increases. This is due, forexample, to lower net axial velocity and distribution of flow energy tolarger effective area. The enhancements described in some of theembodiments described hereinafter have achieved low flow sensitivity inthe range of 0.5% of maximum flow rate, which is an order of magnitudelower than industry standard of 5%.

One teaching of the present application is that as one decreases thepass through area 74 and/or while also reducing the vane count,improvements in low flow sensitivity can be achieved. When a volume ofwater equivalent to the open volume within the rotor passes through themeter, the rotor will rotate 360/n degrees, where n is number of vanes.Thusly, rotational velocity will increase as vane count is reduced.Increasing rotational velocity improves metering accuracy withappropriate design of the turbine wheel and flow channels.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view similar to FIG. 1 now showing adifferent embodiment of a turbine wheel 27 inside of a fluid pipesection. The turbine wheel of FIG. 7 is best understood when looking atFIGS. 8-13 . As depicted, the turbine wheel 27 has just one vane 68. Thesingle vane 68 extends 360 degrees around the hub 66 starting from thefront face 83 of the turbine wheel and ends at the rear face 84 of theturbine wheel. The root 70 of the vane 68 is continuously attached tothe hub 66, while the tip 71 of the vane 68 is continuously attached tothe rim 69. As can be seen in FIGS. 11 and 13 there is no pass througharea 74.

Another novel aspect of this turbine wheel is its ability to reducefouling. Buildup or particulates/debris on the outside diameter of therim 69 can result in reduction of turbine meter accuracy or can stallthe turbine wheel completely. To reduce potential for fouling, thecurrent embodiments include external vanes 76 disposed outside of theflow cylinder rim 68. As shown here, there are four external vanes 76,however, it is understood that any n number of external vanes 76 couldhave been used.

Furthermore, the vanes 76 can be in an angular or helical configuration.When the turbine wheel rotates due to primary vane 68 reaction forces,the outer vanes 76 generate a flow field on the periphery betweenturbine wheel and the inside diameter 78 of the meter housing (i.e. theinside of the fluid pipe section). The external vanes 76 either throughthe currents generated or from physical contact brush away anyparticulates that may have a tendency to stick and thus provide animproved anti-fouling function.

Optionally, as shown here, the outlet channel, which is part of the rearbearing housing 30, has a tapered transition 80 to allow the externalflow field to recombine with main fluid field to reduce eddy losses.Again, the induced flow field flushes particulates or debris that couldnormally accumulate and cause fouling.

Referring back to FIG. 7 , a housing 81 contains the sensor 15 and theprinted circuit board 16. The housing is configured to nest furtherwithin the thickness of the fluid pipe section 33 such that the sensor15 is as close to the magnets 28 as practically possible for improvedsensing.

While low flow sensitivity is enhanced with the single vane embodiment,other variations are still possible. For example, FIG. 14 is a frontisometric view of another embodiment of a turbine wheel of the presentinvention that still has a great improvements over prior art designs,but may be more practical to manufacture. FIGS. 15-19 are other viewsshowing this new embodiment of FIG. 14 . In this embodiments, there arenow two vanes 68 and just two small pass through areas 74. This designis easy to manufacture in a simple two part molding operation while alsohas improved low flow sensitivity.

FIGS. 20-25 show another embodiment of the present invention. To improvelow flow sensitivity in larger pipe diameters, the embodiments of FIGS.20-25 have been developed with two sets of concentric vanes. Here, thereis a first set of vanes 68 a that extend from the hub 66 to the firstcylindrical rim 69 a. Then, a second set of vanes 68 b extend from thefirst cylindrical rim 69 a to a second cylindrical rim 69 b.

The second cylindrical rim 69 b is concentric with and disposed outsideof the first cylindrical rim 69 a. This embodiment also includes theouter external vanes 76 to reducing fouling.

As can be seen, this turbine wheel is designed with two concentric flowcylinders 69 a and 69 b, each with separate flow vanes disposed within.At low flow velocities the primary flow field will be laminar, with mostenergy at the center of the pipe. Therefore, the central flow cylinder69 a constrains this central higher energy flow volume to impinge upon acontrolled, low vane count interior section. The bounding cylinder 69 aalso constrains radial shedding of energy as flow volume impinges onvanes 68 a. The secondary group of vanes 68 b is bounded by the outerflow cylinder 69 b and is configured for optimal balance of flowresponse for a desired metering range.

As shown in this embodiment, there are two inner vanes 68 a and fourouter vanes 68 b. It is noted that the inner vane count (2) in this andother embodiments may be less than the outer vane count (4). Forexample, the inner vane count could be just 1 whereas the outer vanecount could be 2. Alternatively, the inner vane count could be 2 whereasthe outer vane count could be 3.

It is also possible the inner vane count and outer vane count be equalat 1, 2, 3, 4 or any n number of vane counts.

It is also noted that when looking at FIG. 24 , one can best see thatthe leading edge 87 a of the first cylindrical rim 69 a extends adistance 86 ahead of the leading edge 87 b of the second cylindrical rim69 b. Also, as shown herein, the trailing edge 88 of both rims (i.e. 88a and 88 b) are aligned. These features may enhance the performance attransitional flows in an attempt to sustain a linear frequency versusflow rate character for purposes of meter calibration accuracy.

It is noted that the vanes shown and taught herein are of a practicalhelical form with a wall section reasonably uniform. As currently shown,the vanes are generally angled at 45 degrees which may be one embodimentfor an optimal balance that transfers the axial flow field forces tocause radial component loading to efficiently cause rotation. Testingsteeper (i.e. flatter) angled vanes found no improvement or loss of lowflow threshold, however the pressure drop may be higher. On the otherhand, shallower angled vanes may reduce the low flow threshold.Accordingly, as is known by those skilled in the art, other angles andshapes may also work in the present invention as this teaching is notlimited to the precise form of the vanes shown and taught herein.

Turning now to FIG. 26 , which is a sectional view looking along thelongitudinal axis 67, a flow meter may utilize a singular sensingelement 15 to capture a signal when an individual vane or magnet 28passes. An electronic circuit converts this pulse signal to a frequency.Flow meters are calibrated based on frequency versus flow rate. In aconventional configuration, a flow meter will see the same signalresponse, irrespective of turbine wheel rotation direction. As shown inFIG. 26 we can see the back surface of the turbine wheel and that theturbine wheel will rotate in a direction 82 that is counter-clockwise.

In order to meter and identify flow direction, some embodiments of thepresent invention show teach locating two magnetic sensing sensors 15 aand 15 b positioned such that the included angle from central axis 67 ofthe turbine wheel to center of each sensor is other than 180 degrees.For example, as shown herein, the angle is less than 30 degrees. Eachsensor independently creates a response signal that is measured in thesame time domain. By comparing a signal transient (i.e. rise and fall)of the actual timing a determination can be made relative to turbinewheel rotation direction.

Furthermore, at very low flow rates the relative timing between sensors15 a and 15 b can be employed to measure rotational speed to muchgreater precision as compared to waiting for next full sweep of a magnetor vane.

Additionally, another enhancement realized from this configuration isthat the secondary sensor 15 b can provide signal redundancy whencompared to the first sensor 15 a for improvement in metering accuracyor to determine whether one of the sensors is malfunctioning.

FIGS. 28 and 29 show the electrical signals from two separate HallEffect sensors (i.e. switches) taken from the structure of FIG. 27 . Inthese plots the vertical axis measures the voltage and the horizontalaxis measures the time domain. FIG. 28 shows forward flow case withtiming of the S1 signal rise and fall preceding that of the S2 signalrise and fall. Timing of the signals are controlled by the passing ofmagnetic field through each hall sensor 15 a and 15 b.

Likewise, when flow is reversed as is shown in FIG. 29 , the S1 signalchange occurs later than S2 signal change. By comparative timing ofvoltage changes between two signals S1 and S2 the direction of rotationis established.

Furthermore, quantitative difference in timing will be proportional torate of flow to permit determination of rotational frequency tocalculate flow rate.

Referring now to FIGS. 30 and 31 , it is understood that the novelturbine wheels of the present invention can be used for flow meters orcan be used for other flow devices used in a wide variety of ways asunderstood by those skilled in the art. For example, the turbine wheelof the present invention can also be used in shut off valve flow devicespreviously taught in application 16/829,339 filed on Mar. 25, 2020, theentire contents of which are fully incorporated herein with thisreference.

FIG. 30 schematically illustrates an exemplary monitoring and controlsystem 100 which also includes a control valve 110 having an inlet port111 connected with a water source U (utility or supply side) and anoutlet port 112 connected with a local plumbing system H (home or plantside), with a flow sensor 130. The flow sensor 130 can utilize theturbine wheels of the present invention and their associated structures.

Referring to FIG. 30 , the flow sensor 130 may be disposed upstream ofthe valve element 120 (such as in position 140) or be disposeddownstream of the valve element 120 as shown herein. Furthermore, theflow sensor 130 can include more than one, such that multiple flowsensors 130 are used at various locations along the control system 100.

The control valve 110 may include an electronically operated actuator150 operable to open, close, or otherwise regulate a valve element 120within the valve. This may be performed, for example, in response toindications from the sensors 130, 140 or a command from the user inputmodule 170 (FIG. 31 ).

A control module 160 is operatively connected (e.g., by wired orwireless electronic communication) with the flow sensor 130 to receiveand process fluid flow data, and with the actuator 150 to provideactuating signals for operation of the actuator to adjust the valveelement 120 to a selected flow position, between closed and fully open,for example, in response to user input or in response to sensed fluidflow data from the flow sensor 130. In addition to the flow sensor 130,the system 100 may include other sensors 140, such as, for example,pressure sensors, temperature sensors, vibration sensors, and moisturesensors or the thermal mass flow sensor previously taught in the ‘339application. Sensors 140 may be separately disposed from sensor 130either on the same side or opposite side of the valve element, orsensors 140 may be integrally formed as part of and/or disposed withsensor 130.

Those of skill in the art will recognize that, in other embodiments, theflow sensor 130 can be positioned anywhere in the water system, forexample closer to a point of use such as near the inlet of a plumbingfixture, for example, a toilet, a sink, a tub, a silcock or a faucet andthe like. In these embodiments, there may be a local electronicallycontrolled shut off valve (not shown) for the specific plumbing fixture.The local electronically controlled shut of valve may likewise include acontrol valve, an electronically controlled actuator, and a controlmodule operably conntected to the local flow sensor.

Although a control valve 110 and associated components (e.g., valveelement 120, control module 160) are shown herein, those of skill in theart will recognize that in yet other embodiments there may not be acontrol valve 110 and associated components; instead, the flow sensor130 may be operably connected to a transceiver (not shown) forcommunication with other devices such as, for example, a user inputmodule 170, as described herein. In these other embodiments, the flowsensor 130 can be positioned at the main water inlet or anywhere in thewater system, or may be positioned closer to a point of use such as nearthe inlet of a plumbing fixture, for example, a toilet, a sink, a tub, asilcock or a faucet and the like. Further, one or more flow sensors 130and 140 may be used in conjunction with one another in a system todetermine water usage and leaks within the system.

In an exemplary embodiment, as schematically shown in FIG. 31 , thecontroller 160 may include a number of electronic components. Thesecomponents enable the operation of the control valve 110 and themonitoring of the local fluid system. More specifically, thesecomponents enable the activation, deactivation, and control of the valve110. The controller 160 may be integrated with the control valve 110,assembled with the control valve, or remotely connected with the controlvalve (e.g., using wired or wireless communication). The controller 160may include one or more printed circuit boards (“PCBs”) 161. In theillustrated example, a number of electronic components are mounted onthe PCB 161, including, but not limited to, a processor 162, memory 163,a wireless communication chip 164, a timer 165, and a power port 166.The processor 162 receives signals from and sends signals to theelectronically operated actuator 150 to control operation of the valve110. For example, the processor 162 receives signals from the flowsensor 130 and any other flow/fluid sensors 140 and sends signals to theelectronically operated actuator 150 to activate, deactivate, andcontrol the valve 110. The timer 165 measures time intervals andinstances for these actions, for example, for storage or communicationwith corresponding measured parameters (e.g., flow rate, pressure,temperature, etc.) or other actions.

The memory 163 can save information received from the sensors 130, 140and the actuator 150. The information can also be saved in remotememory. Exemplary storage locations for the remote memory include a userinput module 170 (e.g., a smartphone, tablet, or computer), acentralized server provided by the valve/control module manufacturer orother service provider, and/or a cloud service provided by thevalve/control module manufacturer or a third party provider (such asGoogle®, HomeKit®, and IFTTT®). In the illustrated example, examples ofthe remote memory includes a server 178 and a cloud computing network179. This fluid data information may be presented to a user in a varietyof formats and using a variety of platforms (e.g., text message,software or web-based application) to present information regardingfluid usage, potential leaks, and other fluid system conditions.

In the illustrated example, the user input module 170 may provideoperational instructions to the control module 160. The user inputmodule 170 can be any module that enables user input. The user inputmodule 170 may include one or more remote input device(s) 171 and manualinput device(s) 172. Exemplary electronic input devices 171 includeactivation sensors, mobile devices, voice controlled devices, and touchscreen devices, such as, for example, a smart phone, smart speaker,computer, or tablet. Exemplary manual input devices 172 include buttons,touchpads, and toggle switches connected with the valve 110 and/orcontrol module 160. The user input module 170 receives input from a userand sends signals to the control module 160 to control operation of thevalve 110. For example, the user input module 170 receives input from auser and sends signals to the processor 162 to activate, deactivate, andcontrol the valve 110. In the illustrated embodiments, some componentsof the user input module 170 (e.g., a mobile device or voice controlleddevice) are connected to the control module 160 via a wirelesscommunication connection 167 (such as a Wi-Fi connection with wirelesscommunication chip 164) for wireless signal transmission, while othercomponents of the user input module 170 (e.g., the local input device)are connected to the control module 160 via a hard-wired connection 168for wired signal transmission. In other arrangements, each component ofthe user input module 170 could be connected to the control module 160and send signals to and/or receive signals from the processor 162 viaany type of connection, including other wireless communicationconnections, such as Bluetooth, cellular, near field communication(NFC), Zigbee, and Z-Wave, or a hard-wired connection. The user inputmodule 170 could include any number of components. Moreover, eachcomponent of the user input module 170 could be in any location where itcan send signals to and/or receive signals from the control module 160and/or other electronic components of the proportional control valve110, such as the processor 162, or each component of the user inputmodule 170 could be integrally formed with or physically connected tothe valve 110 and/or control module 160. Alternately, in cases wherethere is no control module 160, signals may be sent and received betweena transceiver (not shown) operably connected to one or more sensors 140,130.

In the illustrated embodiment, a power module 180 provides power to theelectrical/electronic components of the control module 160. The powermodule 180 may be connected to the power port 166 of the control module60 via a hard-wired connection 168. The power module 180 may include avariety of power sources, including, for example, AC power, batterypower, or AC power with a battery backup.

During user operation of the electronic valve 110, the user mayactivate, deactivate, and/or control the electronic valve 110 using oneor more components of the user input module 170. For example, the usercould operate the user input module 170 by triggering an activationsensor/switch 173 on the valve 110 or control module 160, pressing anappropriate button or touchscreen prompt on the device 171/172, and/orvocalizing specific commands (e.g., device programmed voice prompts,such as “turn on” and “turn off”) to a voice controlled device 171/172.

This application taught many novel improvements over prior art designs.Accordingly, any combination using just one or all of the novelimprovements may be embodied in a wide range of embodiments, as thisteaching is not to be limited to the precise embodiments shown andtaught herein.

Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposesof illustration, various modifications may be made to each withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, theinvention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.

Numerals 15 Hall Effect sensor 16 printed circuit baord 25 turbinebearing 26 turbine shaft 27 turbine wheel 28 magnet 29 weight 30 rearbearing support 33 fluid pipe section 65 central/axle thru-hole 66 hub67 longitudinal axis 68 vanes 69 rim 70 root, vane 71 tip, vane 72peripheral cavity/pocket 73 seal 74 pass through area 76 external vane78 inside diameter, fluid pipe section 80 tapered transition, rearbearing support 81 housing 82 rotational direction, turbine wheel 83front face, turbine wheel 84 rear face, turbine wheel 85 front bearingsupport 86 distance 87 leading edge, rim 88 trailing edge, rim S1 firstsignal S2 second signal u utility side H home side 100 monitoring andcontrol system 110 control valve 111 inlet port 112 outlet port 120valve 130 flow sensor 140 flow sensor 150 electronically operatedactuator 160 control module 161 printed circuit board 162 processor 163memory 164 wireless communication chip 165 timer 166 power port 167wireless communication connection 168 hard-wired connection 170 userinput module 171 remote input device 172 manual input device 173activation sensor / switch 178 server 180 power module

We claim:
 1. A turbine wheel configured for use in a turbine flow meter,the turbine wheel comprising: a hub centered about and defining alongitudinal axis, wherein the hub is configured to be freely rotatablyfixed in position inside a fluid pipe section; a first cylindrical rimcentered about the hub and the longitudinal axis and spaced a distanceapart from the hub, wherein connection between the hub and the firstcylindrical rim is limited to a first set of no more than two vanes eachhaving a root attached to the hub and a tip attached to the firstcylindrical rim.
 2. The turbine wheel of claim 1, wherein the first vaneset is limited to one individual vane.
 3. The turbine wheel of claim 1,including an external vane set extending outwardly from the firstcylindrical rim, wherein a root of each vane of the external vane set isattached to the first cylindrical rim and a tip of each vane of theexternal vane set is not attached to any cylindrical rim.
 4. The turbinewheel of claim 1, wherein a pocket is formed in the first cylindricalrim, and wherein a magnet or a magnetically-permeable ferrous part isdisposed within the pocket.
 5. The turbine wheel of claim 1, wherein thehub, the first cylindrical rim, and the first vane set of the turbinewheel are formed as a single-shot, plastic injection molded, homogeneouspart.
 6. The turbine wheel of claim 5, wherein the single-shot, plasticinjection molded, homogeneous part has a specific gravity at or between0.9 to 1.0.
 7. The turbine wheel of claim 5, wherein the single-shot,plastic injection molded, homogeneous part is formed from apolypropylene homopolymer.
 8. A turbine wheel configured for use in aturbine flow meter, the turbine wheel comprising: a hub centered aboutand defining a longitudinal axis, wherein the hub is configured to befreely rotatably fixed in position inside a fluid pipe section; a firstcylindrical rim centered about the hub and the longitudinal axis andspaced a distance apart from the hub; a first vane set extendingoutwardly from the hub to the first cylindrical rim, wherein a root ofeach vane of the first vane set is attached to the hub and a tip of eachvane of the first vane set is attached to the first cylindrical rim,wherein the first vane set consists of two individual vanes; and aplastic external vane set extending outwardly from the first cylindricalrim, wherein a root of each vane of the external vane set is attached tothe first cylindrical rim and a tip of each vane of the external vaneset is not attached to any cylindrical rim.
 9. The turbine wheel ofclaim 8, wherein the turbine wheel is a single-shot, plastic injectionmolded, homogeneous part.
 10. A turbine wheel configured for use in aturbine flow meter, the turbine wheel comprising: a hub centered aboutand defining a longitudinal axis, wherein the hub is configured to befreely rotatably fixed in position inside a fluid pipe section; a firstcylindrical rim centered about the hub and the longitudinal axis andspaced a distance apart from the hub; a first vane set extendingoutwardly from the hub to the first cylindrical rim, wherein a root ofeach vane of the first vane set is attached to the hub and a tip of eachvane of the first vane set is attached to the first cylindrical rim; andan external vane set extending outwardly from the first cylindrical rim,wherein a root of each vane of the external vane set is attached to thefirst cylindrical rim and a tip of each vane of the external vane set isnot attached to any cylindrical rim; wherein the turbine wheel,including the hub, the first cylindrical rim, the first vane set and theexternal vane set, is a single-shot, plastic injection molded,homogeneous part.